After tearing an abdominal muscle while working out this summer, Prout will not join his teammates on the ice just yet. Until he’s given full clearance by doctors — he hopes next week — Prout will skate hard by himself to get his legs up to game shape.

Prout originally was expected to miss the entire preseason. Now he’s hoping to play the final two games.

“Yeah, it’s really good news,” Prout said. “There’s still rehab to do, though. I can’t push too hard here or I’m going through it all over again.”

The fact he’s skating at this point is hard to fathom.

“My left abdominal muscle, where it connects to the pelvis, tore off,” Prout said. “It tore off where it’s supposed to be connected.”

Prout is waiting for the “connective tissue” around the area to grow back together; there are sutures holding it together.

“The sutures are like Kevlar,” he said. “You could hang an elephant from them. But you need the muscle to attach completely before you’re ready.”

Nothing new

One issue looming, though, is his contract status. He can become a free agent on July 1, and there have been no talks as of yet about signing an extension.

General manager Jarmo Kekalainen said talks will start at some point during the season.

Gaborik seems fine with that plan.

“I’m comfortable,” he said. “I’ve experienced that before (in Minnesota). I’m not thinking about that; just getting ready to go out there and play. We’ll see how everything is going to turn out.

“I like it here. My main focus here is to just have a healthy start, have a good start, help this team get to where it needs to be and wants to be and just go from there. Not thinking about a contract; whatever happens will happen."

Slim, trim Umberger

Wing R.J. Umberger said he lost “7 or 8 pounds” this summer by working on speed and power skating and “the most clean eating I’ve ever done.”

He’s down to 215 pounds and hopes it will make him quicker.

“I’m still as strong as can be,” Umberger said. “All of my (fitness testing) numbers went up.

“But ever since I’ve been in the league, it was, ‘Be a big guy, go 220 pounds or 220-plus.’ That’s what I was always told. But playing at 214-215, I’m still as strong. I feel pretty good right now.”

Slap shots

The Jackets have split their 54 players into two training-camp groups. Group A will skate at 10 a.m., followed by Group B at 12:15 p.m. at the Ice Haus. Practices are free and open to the public. … All players except Prout and right wing Nathan Horton (right shoulder) passed physicals yesterday. … Wing Alex Aleardi, who was invited to last week’s prospects tournament in Michigan, impressed enough to be invited to the Blue Jackets’ training camp. He played for Windsor in the Ontario Hockey League last season.

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